Review Session #2 Review Institutions of Government Congress Primary and general elections bicameral Seniority system Party caucus Rules Committee Standing Committees/subcommittees Select committees Joint Committees/conference committees filibuster incumbency marginal districts apportionment/reapportionment gerrymander “After brief flirtations with party rule in the 19th century…, the House has rejected the notion that it will play the deliberative, party-controlled, general-policy role of a parliament.” -James Q. Wilson Republicans and Newt in ‘95-’96 as anomalies or pioneers? LOW level of party-line voting - except for above? Party structure in Congress Senate President pro tempore majority and minority leaders and whips Policy committees Steering committee/committee on committees
House Speaker (presides/recognizes speakers/assigns bills to committees/assigns Rules committee members...) Majority and minority leaders and whips Congressional caucuses: Congressional Black Caucus/Democratic Study Group/Congressional Democratic Forum/Wednesday Group, etc. Congressional Committee Organization each house has 2 dozen committees and 100+ subcommittees standing/select/joint/major committees/minor committees/exclusive committees ratio of Republicans to Democrats on committees Decentralization of power Staffs and Specialized Offices Representatives’ staff members/Senators’ staff members Constituent services/publicity/in-district offices Congressional Research Service/General Accounting Office/Office of Technology Assessment (recently abolished)/Congressional Budget Office How a bill becomes a law Assignment to committee/multiple referrals Committees: graveyards for most bills Mark-up sessions House Rules committee Debate Representational voting (with constituents) Organizational voting (with party) Attitudinal voting (with ideology) ----
Presidency Pres vs. Legislature
Divided gov’t
Pres party vs. Legis party
Electoral College
Pres powers
exclusive and shared with Congress
White House Office
circular or pyramid org.
Executive Office
OMB, CIA, Council of Econ Advisers, Office of Personnel Management, US Trade Rep
Cabinet
heads of bureaucratic departments
Independent agencies and commissions
Presidential character (style)
Three audiences of the Pres
DC politicians and leaders
party activists and officeholders outside of DC
the Public
Popularity and influence
Veto
Executive privilege
impoundment ----
Bureaucracy multiple bosses federalism and sharing responsibility and power public observation and contesting bureaucratic decisions spoils system civil service/competitive service/excepted service discretionary authority agency culture/ conflict between political leaders and bureaucrats? Constraints on bureaucratic action ----
Judiciary Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland - judicial review & national supremacy
strict-constructionist
interpretivist
judicial activism
the supreme court and
civil rights
civil liberties
economics
Congress
the President
public opinion
Federal courts
Appointments
Getting certiorari
standing to sue
class-action suits Majority opinion Concurring opinion Dissenting opinion 1
AP US Government and Politics Review
Review Session #2 Review Institutions of GovernmentCongress
Primary and general elections
bicameral
Seniority system
Party caucus
Rules Committee
Standing Committees/subcommittees
Select committees
Joint Committees/conference committees
filibuster
incumbency
marginal districts
apportionment/reapportionment
gerrymander
“After brief flirtations with party rule in the 19th century…, the House has rejected the notion that it will play the deliberative, party-controlled, general-policy role of a parliament.” -James Q. Wilson
Republicans and Newt in ‘95-’96 as anomalies or pioneers?
LOW level of party-line voting - except for above?
Party structure in Congress
Senate
President pro tempore
majority and minority leaders and whips
Policy committees
Steering committee/committee on committees
House
Speaker (presides/recognizes speakers/assigns bills to committees/assigns Rules committee members...)
Majority and minority leaders and whips
Congressional caucuses: Congressional Black Caucus/Democratic Study Group/Congressional Democratic Forum/Wednesday Group, etc.
Congressional Committee Organization
each house has 2 dozen committees and 100+ subcommittees
standing/select/joint/major committees/minor committees/exclusive committees
ratio of Republicans to Democrats on committees
Decentralization of power
Staffs and Specialized Offices
Representatives’ staff members/Senators’ staff members
Constituent services/publicity/in-district offices
Congressional Research Service/General Accounting Office/Office of Technology Assessment (recently abolished)/Congressional Budget Office
How a bill becomes a law
Assignment to committee/multiple referrals
Committees: graveyards for most bills
Mark-up sessions
House Rules committee
Debate
Representational voting (with constituents)
Organizational voting (with party)
Attitudinal voting (with ideology)
----
Presidency
Pres vs. Legislature
Divided gov’t
Pres party vs. Legis party
Electoral College
Pres powers
exclusive and shared with Congress
White House Office
circular or pyramid org.
Executive Office
OMB, CIA, Council of Econ Advisers, Office of Personnel Management, US Trade Rep
Cabinet
heads of bureaucratic departments
Independent agencies and commissions
Presidential character (style)
Three audiences of the Pres
DC politicians and leaders
party activists and officeholders outside of DC
the Public
Popularity and influence
Veto
Executive privilege
impoundment
----
Bureaucracy
multiple bosses
federalism and sharing responsibility and power
public observation and contesting bureaucratic decisions
spoils system
civil service/competitive service/excepted service
discretionary authority
agency culture/ conflict between political leaders and bureaucrats?
Constraints on bureaucratic action
----
Judiciary
Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland - judicial review & national supremacy
strict-constructionist
interpretivist
judicial activism
the supreme court and
civil rights
civil liberties
economics
Congress
the President
public opinion
Federal courts
Appointments
Getting certiorari
standing to sue
class-action suits
Majority opinion
Concurring opinion
Dissenting opinion
1